by M. J. Joachim

Created on: July 22, 2009

Helping Animals Left in Shelters

Can't you just picture it? Day after day, these animals are cooped up in their little cages because they have no loving home to call their own. As you wander through the kennel, you see those sad faces looking at you with longing, and you hear those high pitched whines and yips begging you to notice them. They are in there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, waiting to belong to somebody. Animals that need a home are cooped up, left to their own devices of communication, and they have needs.

Recognize and Fill the Need

One of the biggest needs of animal shelters is night care. While our days usually end around dinner time, animals often run on nocturnal schedules. They need someone to love them even after business hours. You can form a group of night owls, people who want to visit the animals after hours. Then you can set up a meeting with the manager and make arrangements to care for the pets at night, taking shifts with the other members of your group.

Share Your Talents

What types of things do you do at work and for fun? Can any of your talents be used to help the local animal shelter in need? Do you have your own sales business that you can use to host a fundraiser? You can set specified dates and donate a percentage of all of the profits you make during those dates? If you don't have your own sales business, you can ask a friend who does. Talk to your local realtor, ask the Avon lady, host that Tupperware party your friend has been bugging you about. Use your skills to raise funds for the animal shelter.

Perhaps sales really aren't your thing, and you don't know anyone interested in helping you earn a few dollars for the animal shelter. Are you good at writing? Do you have any design skills? You can use your skills to help raise awareness about the needs and opportunities people can take advantage of to help the shelter. Creating ad copy for your animal shelter is always appreciated.

If all else fails, you can always spend a few hours during the week to personally give your time to the shelter. Volunteers do many things at animal shelters. Ask the managers what they need, and then determine if you can provide it.

Donations are Welcome Gifts

Every organization benefits from the generosity of others. Whether it's money, food, or supplies, your local animal shelter needs whatever you want to give to it. Donating gifts takes very little time, and you don't even have to get to know any of the animals. All you have to do is make sure your gift, whatever it is, gets delivered.

Understand and Love the Animals

These critters didn't ask to be placed in an animal shelter. For whatever reason, they ended up there, and their lives are not nearly the same as if they were in a loving home with a wonderful family. You can support your local animal shelter by caring for the animals. Search deep within your heart, and think about ways that you help. Pray for the animals, and talk to friends and family about their plight. Be generous in letting people know that you want to help these animals. You'll make friends who want to help to. Together you can brainstorm with your friends and think of ways to make animal shelters a better place to live, or find ways to offer alternative housing to the pets too often forgotten. Your love will make a difference, and your attitude will challenge the current situation, creating an opportunity to change it for the better.

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